Improved slitting-machine



UNITED l STATE-s PATENT OFFICEO IMPROVE-D sLlrTlNG-MACHINE.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 55,330, dated June 5, 1866.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, M. H. MERRIAM and E. L. NORTON, both of Charlestown, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improved Machine for Slitting Leather-Strips; and we do hereby declare that the following', taken in connection with the drawings which accompany and form part of this specification, is a description of our invention sufficient to enable those skilled in the art to practice it.

In the manufacture of shoe-binding ribbon as practiced by us we prefer to cut the skin into strips cfa number of times the width of the binding, and having' cemented such strips together, so as to form a continuous band, to then slit such band into pieces ofthe width of the binding.

The present invention relates to the construction or arran gement of mechanism for effecting this slitting of the wide strip into the strips which constitute the shoe-binding ribbon; and the invention consistsin combining with a series of rotary shears guides or guidesurfaces, which support or keep the strip in position as it is presented to the cutters; also, in extending the guide-surfaces between which the strip moves through and beyond the cutters, so as to prevent any twisting or lateral movement of the strip while under the action of the cutters; also, in combining with the rotary cutters or shears draw-rolls, operating as auxiliaries to th erotary cutters to feed the strip.

The drawings represent a machine embodying the invention, Figure l showing a side elevation 5 Fig. 2, a plan, Fig. 3, a vertical and longitudinal section, and Fig. et an end View of such machine.

a denotes the frame 5 b, a table'or platform mounted thereupon, over which the strip passes to the action of the rotary cutters.

o o and del denote the cutter-blocks, mounted, respectively, on rotary shafts ef, and carrying circular or disk cutters, each two of which, in vertical line, form a rotary shears. The end block, d', of the lower series is stationary with respect to its shaft, and each two co-operating cutters are held in contact throughout the two series by a rubber spring, g, inserted between a block, h, xed upon the upper shaft, and a sliding block, t', bearing against or connected with the adjacent end cutter-block of the upper shaft, the arrangement being the same, or substantially the same, as in our machine, in which the skills are cut yinto strips. The strip to be slit into ribbons is wound upon a drum, h', and from thence passes over a guide-wheel, i', and thence over the table b to the cutters, from whence the ribbons pass between a pair of draw-rolls, 7c. At the outer end of the table b the strip, which is of uniform width, passes under stationary guides k Z and between edgeguides l m, and as it comes near the cutters it passes under a yielding or presser plate, n, which plate is kept laterally in position by a plate, o, borne up against it by a spring, p.

Thus the strip is kept in proper position by l these guides as it is presented to the cutters land until they bite upon it. To keep the material in position while the cutters act upon it the strip not only passes under the presserplate n, but between such plate and another one, q, from each of which lingers r s extend between the cutters, as seen in the drawings, each finger r of the upper plate extending between two adjacent cutter-blocks of the upper set, and each finger s of the lower plate between two adjacent cutter-blocks of thelower set, so that until wholly beyond the cutting action of the shears the material is held between the fingers, the spring p and guide 7c serving to keep the upper .fingers laterally in position with relation to the cutters while they press upon and keep the material close down to the surface of the lower and stationary lingers s. From these fingers andthe cutters the ribbons pass through draw-rolls lc, which keep up' a steady strain and feed upon the material, rol tation being imparted to the rolls by a band, a, connecting a pulley on the shaft of one of them with a pulley on the driving-shaft, or by any other suitable means, the motion'of the cutters and that of the draw-rolls being made to correspond.

A brake, o, is held against the surface of the strip upon the drum h by a weight, zo, the pressure of this brake and the action of therolls 7c keeping up a tension upon the strip, as will be readily understood.

The lower cutter-shaft is shown as mounted in an adjustable frame, a', so that by means of a screw, y, the edges of the cooperating cuts ters may be adj usted with respect to each other and keeping the material in position during the action of the cutters.

as circumstances may require.

8. Combining with such rotary cutters the j We claim- 1. The combination, with the rotary cutters, draw-rolls, operating substantially as set forth. 5 of the stationary and the pressure guides or A guide-surfacesby which the strip is maintained M. H; MERRIAM.` in position as presented to the action ot' the E. LfNORTON. cutters. i Witnesses: fr

2. In combination with such cutters, the J. B. CROSBY, fingers extending between the cutter-blocks FRANCxIs GOULD. 

